Despite heartbreaking CWS ouster, UT has bright future

Shortstop C.J Hinojosa was among the Texas players in disbelief after Saturday night's loss ended the Longhorns' season.

Shortstop C.J Hinojosa was among the Texas players in disbelief...

OMAHA, Neb. - Days before their College World Series ended with a soft Vanderbilt roller that left them shedding tears and sprawled out on the TD Ameritrade Park grass, the Texas Longhorns were told they'd be back. Their coach said so.

But in a somber hallway outside the UT locker room late Saturday night, Augie Garrido admitted he couldn't be sure of that. Yes, he believed the team eliminated one game short of the CWS finals was his best since UT won the 2005 national title. And yes, he believed next year's team might be even better.

A return trip to Omaha, however, is something Garrido conceded he couldn't guarantee.

"The expectation has been renewed," Garrido said.

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Saturday's 4-3 10-inning loss to Vanderbilt was so devastating that Garrido said he planned to cry once he could "get behind a closed door." But even in the midst of their disappointment, the Longhorns (46-21) said they were able to appreciate the accomplishments of a season that brought UT back into the college baseball elite.

This was the Longhorns' first trip to the CWS since 2011, and in the time between, they'd missed the NCAA Tournament entirely in 2012 and 2013. This year, they climbed to No. 6 in the nation at midseason, then rebounded from an April slump to charge through the postseason.

"Although we lost, we were here," shortstop C.J. Hinojosa said. "We gave everything we had."

Garrido wants extension

The Longhorns could lose their top four pitchers from this year's team, but they return eight of nine starting position players and also have a heralded recruiting class on the way. The question now centers on the future of Garrido, whose 1,920 career victories are the most in college baseball history.

Garrido, 75, is scheduled to make just over $1 million next season in the final year of his current contract. He said he has not had any discussions with athletic director Steve Patterson about his contract.

"I want to talk to Steve about an extension," Garrido said. "I want to stay."

Patterson mum

Patterson attended Saturday's game but declined reporters' interview requests through a spokesman. He has not been committal about Garrido's future in any public comments, even after the Longhorns advanced to their eighth College World Series in his 18 years at UT.

"I don't know what they have in mind," Garrido said of UT's athletic department and administration. "No one has talked to me about it."

Asked if he can recruit on a one-year deal, Garrido said it's possible, "but you might not get the players you want." Still, he sounded as optimistic as ever about the program's future.

"We lost a trophy," Garrido said, "But we found the value of having the right spirit."